Digby’s delight at being back playing

John Lomas

Joel Byrom’s foot injury has been Paul Digby’s good fortune as the Mansfield Town midfielder finds himself back in the starting XI.

Digby had been out in the cold for three games but was part of a side that pulled off an impressive 1-0 win at Lincoln last weekend.

Now he is hoping he did enough to keep his place for Saturday’s visit of Cambridge United.

“I was just delighted to be back in the team, and back in with the boys. I was happy to be playing again,” he said.

“We’ve got a great squad full of great players and we’re all hungry to wear the shirt. I am just grateful I was back in the team and could help them out.”

Digby has come back in as a holding midfielder in the diamond formation and said: “I enjoy playing there and I enjoy playing further forward as well.

“Whatever the manager tells me to do I’ll go out there and do it to the best of my ability for the team.”

He also has more competition in a midfield department already full of talent with the arrival of Millwall’s Calum Butcher on transfer deadline day.

“Butch has been brilliant since he’s come in,” said Dugby.

“Whenever he’s played he has been fantastic. He his hungry to improve and get in the team like we all are.”

Digby enjoyed ending Lincoln’s year-long unbeaten home record last weekend to move up into fifth place.

“It was three massive points,” he said. “Their home form has been amazing over the last year. It was a really hard-fought victory and we did well.

“That’s what we want to do every time we go on the pitch. We want to win, but if we can’t win we want to get that point and keep racking up the points as those draws can come in handy at the end of the season.”

The Lincoln win saw a second clean sheet in a row and Digby enthused: “Our defence was brilliant at the weekend. They were willing to put their bodies on the line and win all the headers and tackles.

“They did a lot of tough, hard work which is what you need for a base of a team. It allows your attacking players a bit more freedom and licence to get forward and I thought they were superb on Saturday.”

He added: “It’s good to be in the play-off places and high up there. Now we’re there we just want to stay there.

“We need to keep fighting and all the teams that come here who are around us, we need to take their points off them and keep moving up the table.

“As a new team, as we are, with a lot of new players, it takes time to gel and understand how each other plays. I think we can only improve.

“If you are looking to be moving up the table and be near the top your home form is vital, we definitely need to make it a fortress.”

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